by MOSES LEOS III
Balancing constant tests, game after game after game, and life in general – that’s a real problem for high school athletes.
Yet, four Hays Lady Rebel basketball players made the grade this year, as Kameryn Kent, Lindsey McCurdy, Jennifer Colonnetta and Rachel Calabrese earned honors for their outstanding academic achievements.
On April 1, McCurdy, Colonnetta and Calabrese were named to the 2012-2013 Texas Girls Coaches Association (TGCA) All-Academic team in Class 4A. All four students were named to the 2012-2013 Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) All-Academic team. Both achievements require that students maintain an overall average of 90 or above for the entirety of their senior years, with the TGCA requiring an average of 94 or higher to qualify for Academic All-State honors.
“It is an honor for us to keep a 90 average through sports and everything,” Kent said enthusiastically.
For all four girls, the ability to find that ever-difficult balance between keeping their skills honed on the court, as well as in the classroom proved to be a great challenge. “(It meant) keeping a good head on our shoulders, keeping a good balance of basketball and school, as well as keeping our priorities straight,” Colonnetta said.
The task was made more challenging as the teammates described what a normal day consists of during the basketball season. “We are here in the morning and after school for practice, in between, taking extremely rigorous classes,” said Colonnetta, mentioning that all four of the seniors were involved in dual-credit or Advanced Placement (AP) courses. “Then, we go home, where we have homework to complete. We are busy all day long.”
Finding time to unwind and relax amidst the constant workload is an arduous task. Yet, finding ways to keep their minds away from school helps belay the stresses they face on a daily basis. “We all like to get together to have sleepovers, watching movies,” Calabrese said. “That helps us relax, getting our minds off of the work we have been putting in.”
“We’re a big family. Team bonding is so important for us,” said Colonnetta, with Kent adding, “We are a goofy group, it’s always exciting around us.”
Perhaps the proudest person of all was Hays head coach Danny Preuss, who has witnessed all four seniors’ development both on and off the court. “They are very intelligent girls, and that intelligence spills over onto the basketball court,” Preuss said. “They know where to be, they know what to do; they are very coachable. They will be missed.”
Preuss also said nine members of the Lady Rebel basketball team made the 2013 Academic All-District list as well. “I’m proud of my whole team.”
College is the next destination for the Lady Rebel seniors. Of the four, only McCurdy will continue her role as a student-athlete as she attends SMU on a full-ride golf scholarship. Colonnetta and Calabrese are off to the University of North Texas, while Kent will attend Texas State. All are looking forward to continued academic success at the next level. “I think we have all developed good study habits,” Calabrese said. “We are going to carry that through to college.”
The four players meant a great deal to the program, Preuss said. “Rachel led our team in three categories; she was our defensive stopper. Lindsey provided lots of offense; she was a great three-point shooter. Jennifer was awesome on the boards, and had great intensity. And Kameryn has the ‘hate to lose’ attitude; she was a true team leader,” he said. “They are four girls that are hard to replace; you cannot replace them. They are great kids, great leaders.”
